X1600xt or 6800GS

[Neo_VR]

Well due to unforseen circumstances my current AGP nforce2 powered PC has died.. so ill be moving over to PCI-e and a lovely 64bit cpu..

question is what gfx card to get?
i WAS going to get the x800gto2 after hearing about the ability to flash it to a 850xtpe, but nowhere have any anymore..
plus, after reading numerous reviews, i think its a bit silly for me to go for a card that doesnt support sm3.

so ive seen that the x1600xt and the 6800gs is around my pricerange for graphics.. does anyone have any prefs about what is gonna be best? - as the pc is in my bedroom, the cooling solution is a point too, as im trying to keep my machine as quiet as possible.
also will the above cards give me a decent upgrade from my venerable 9700pro?

thanks in advance

[kalniel]

Of the two, the 6800gs for definate.

See if you can find any silent cooling solutions, but you may have to wait a while for more to come out, if they do at all.

Personally I'm not that fussed about SM3 yet - maybe when NWN2 comes out I'll change my mind, but for todays stuff, it was all designed to be played on X800's anyway - too large a market chunk to ingore.

The 6800gs will be a notecable increase from the 9700pro. The X1600xt... I think that would actually seem like a decrease in performance. I've still not seen a review asking the questions I want asked of this card, but it seems to be seriously hampered by poor design regarding number of texture units.

[sawyen]

6800GS will smack a X1600XT back to the stone age..

Read up some reviews and you'll find out ur getting 90% of a 6800GT for 2/3 of its price.

X1600XT is just the 'new thing' but the 6800GS is the real deal...

Oh, and 6800GS clocks like weeeee...

[sgoaty]

I have heard ATi are replacing the current X1600 because of poor performance so I wouldnt reccomend buying one at the moment TBH

http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=2932

[iranu]

read this. http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=4058 6800gs all the way

[Neo_VR]

So is there any particular manufacturer of the GS to look out for?
i see scan have the winfast one and the XFX (comes pre-overclocked) model in stock?

[MSIC]

Get the cheapest one you can find, and buy an artic cooler to replace the stock cooler.
They are GREAT.

[sawyen]

Get the cheapest one you can find, and buy an artic cooler to replace the stock cooler.
They are GREAT.

I would just pay 5 quid more for a Zalman VF700-Cu..

They are quieter and has better worksmanship. Think of it as a miniaturised CNPS-7000 Cu for ur gfx...

[Smokey21]

X800GT02> 6800GS IMO. The X1600XT shouldn't be considering, it's pants.

[killkoy]

X800GT02> 6800GS IMO. The X1600XT shouldn't be considering, it's pants.

6800GS>X800GTO2 IMO i agree about not considering the x1600xt
the 6800gs>X800gtO2 for definite when both cards are at stock, IMO the 6800gs is better when both are overclocked/unlocked
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles...&id=1772&pg=13
theirs went to 520/1250
mine has gone to 530/1250 and i think can go futher, havent tried yet
http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=62378

[Smokey21]

Yeah, well it's swings and round-abouts the X800 has always been better at AA/AF than the 6800 series. Seeing as HDR is unplayable on these cards, and SM3.0 still isn't around hardly at all, it's not an issue either.

The GT02 is basically a X850XT, and i know what id rather have.

[killkoy]

yes but a 6800gs overclocked is faster than a X850XT

[Neo_VR]

Yes..all well and good... can someone show me somewhere in the UK that has the GTO 2 in stock???

[Dark Horse]

yes but a 6800gs overclocked is faster than a X850XT

Its not faster it is pretty much exactly the same...

[killkoy]

Its not faster it is pretty much exactly the same...

my 6800gs @530/1250 tends to beat the X850XT's at stock that i have found to compare in with on the 3dmark05 comparison website thingy by about 100 3d marks min
but i accept that in the real world they are about the same
however the 6800gs has support for shader modde 3 so IMO it is the card to buy

[Smokey21]

my 6800gs @530/1250 tends to beat the X850XT's at stock that i have found to compare in with on the 3dmark05 comparison website thingy by about 100 3d marks min
but i accept that in the real world they are about the same
however the 6800gs has support for shader modde 3 so IMO it is the card to buy

Hah. so 3dmark means everything now does it?

In no way is a 6800GS better than a X850XT, it's not even a better buy than a GT02.